The Fire Department told the Associated Press the trailer was carrying 300 gallons of diesel fuel during the 11:45 a.m. accident. The fuel has been leaking, but there are no reports of injuries in the crash.

The upper level of the span going from Staten Island to Brooklyn remains closed.

Traffic on the Brooklyn-bound Staten Island Expressway has been down to a crawl for the last two hours as a result, and is spilling to the service road and streets, as frustrated motorists exit the SIE.

With many drivers hitting the jam at the merge, where the West Shore Expressway meets the SIE, the Victory Boulevard exit was facing some big delays. It took one motorist approximately 15 minutes to make it to Victory Boulevard, between the congestion and the timing of the local traffic lights.

Other exits, including Bradley Avenue and Clove Road, were also experiencing a heavier volume than usual for this time of day.

Drivers heading eastbound on the service road, which runs parallel to the SIE, could easily spot the red of motorists' break lights, as traffic was at a definite standstill on the expressway.